Cha'wen'he

Physical characteristics

Average height

Feather color

Distinctions

Sociocultural characteristics

Homeworld

The Cha'wen'he people of the planetWen'he'dinae were among the galaxy's most distinctive looking species. Cha'wen'he had two thin legs, decimeter-long bony spikes on their heels, and scaly ovoid bodies. Their most distinctive feature was their three heads, mounted on flexible two-meter long necks. Their three heads were in constant motion, making them difficult to catch them unawares. Their mouths were also ringed with pseudo-fingers, allowing them to use their heads as hands. When threatened, Cha'wen'he could fight back with their heel spikes, or retract their heads into their bodies for protection. With necks fully extended, Cha'wen'he stood up to four meters tall.

Though the Cha'wen'he had three heads, they did not have the split consciousness exhibited by the two-headed Troigs and Paaerduags. This was because their single brains were located in their bodies, rather than in their heads. However, their consciousness did have one peculiarity—Cha'wen'he could access knowledge and skills from a collective "species memory". Some of this knowledge, such as simple motor skills, would be accessed immediately by Cha'wen'he hatchlings. More complicated skills could take years to surface in a Cha'wen'he's mind, or even remain locked in their subconscious permanently.

Cha'wen'he, having evolved as herbivores on a planet teeming with predators, were typically nervous and excitable. Their society was organized in nomadic "flocks", whose informal leadership was constantly changing. This made it difficult for offworlders to arrange treaties with them, as an arrangement concluded with one flock might not be honored by their next leader, or by the next flock to live in the area. As a further frustration, Cha'wen'he owned all of their possessions and buildings communally. Though they learned to understand alien concepts such as "private property" and "no trespassing", they sometimes ignored them.

Cha'wen'he had been in contact with the Galactic Republic for millennia, enthusiastically traveling the spacelanes as scouts, explorers, and navigators. While the Cha'wen'he were under the nominal rule of the Galactic Empire, their tendency to ignore certain Imperial dictates led to incidents of brutal oppression. Due to the fluidity of their leadership and their nomadic lifestyle, these were often directed at the wrong Cha'wen'he.